Ride of the Valkyrie
by BlackTithe
Summary: Captain Steve Rogers blames himself for letting Hydra grown right under his nose and has lost all faith in himself and no long fears worthy of the mantel he is asked to bare. When he is at his lowest, a mysterious angel appears to him and fights at his side. Who is she? With a new threat dawning, can she make him believe in himself again before it's too late?
1. Prologue

**I do not own Avengers or any of the other heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I own Valkyrie as she takes no inspiration from that of the comics and is a character of my own design and making.**

_Prologue_

He knew that Bucky was the one that pulled him out of the water. That was the only logical explanation. Nobody else knew where he was. It had taken Natasha and the others nearly an hour to find him. When she did he was drifting in and out of conscious on the water's edge completely alone. At least that is what they told him.

In his moments of lucidity, Steve remembered seeing a woman standing over him. The sun kept her face hidden in shadow. Only her silhouette was clear to him. When they would ask him about it later he would say she was an angel, sent from Heaven to guard him until they arrived. For a moment he had spotted what he could have sworn were massive wings on her back as well as a rather large sword and shield in her hand has the hovercraft descended

.

Whoever she was, real or imagined, Captain Steve Rogers owed her his life, and if he ever saw her again he was going to do his best to repay her.

**Please review as any and all feedback is most welcome. All reviewers will be given a special look at the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 1

**I do not own Avengers or any of the other heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I own Valkyrie as she takes no inspiration from that of the comics and is a character of my own design and making.**

_Chapter 1_

With S.H.I.E.L.D in taters there had been little contact between the members of their greatest team, the Avengers. Its members had scattered to the four winds after Loki's capture. Each had been involved in their own missions and adventures as they worked to cope with the fallout from the attack on New York City.

After the destruction of the world's most powerful intelligence agency, nobody expected to see the Avengers again. That was of course before Tony Stark got the insane idea to rechristen the newly rebuilt Stark Tower as Avengers Tower and start a camp to train those that had the desire to fight alongside them the next time they were needed.

Each member of the team had visited the camp at some point and shared their wisdom with the cadets. Every cadet had their favorite Avenger. For some it was the hilarious Ironman. Others preferred the elusive Black Widow, but none garnered as much respect as Captain America himself, Steve Rogers. He was a true American hero and leader of the greatest collection of heroes the world had ever seen. The world saw him as a bright shining star in a sea of darkness. He only saw himself as a failure.

Steve had just finished leading the new recruits through physical training and decided to go workout himself. The 5 mile run had done little to quite his mind, but punching a 300lb hanging bag was a good way to get out some frustration.

Everything Dr. Zola said about Hydra's ability to infiltrate the organization that was built to destroy it played on a near constant loop in his head. Every time he would lie down to go to sleep he heard his taunting voice telling him how he had "died" for nothing.

"Well this looks familiar."

Steve halted his assault on the bag and turned to see Nick Fury standing in the doorway. He just nodded and turned back to the bag to continue his workout.

"We got word of a new threat," the former director said as he moved towards the super-soldier.

"There's always a new threat."

"True, but this one's different."

Steve stopped and rested his left arm on top of the bag as he turned to Fury. "How so?"

"Seems that there's an alien ready to take over the planet."

"Loki?"

"No. This guy's worse. He goes by the name Thanos."

"Never heard of him."

That didn't surprise Fury. He hadn't even heard of the intergalactic madman until a few weeks ago. Now he was trying to pull the team back together to face the threat. While they had all stopped by the training camp at some point, very few of them seemed willing to actually take up arms. Stark was still a little gun-shy after what had happened to his home. Banner was God knows where, and there was no real way to get a message to Thor. Clint and Natasha were on assignment so finding them would be easy enough. His only real hope was that Steve would step up and kick things off. After all, the man that could survive Hydra not once but twice was definitely someone you wanted in your corner.

"Nobody has. That's the problem. I need you on recon."

"Send Clint and Natasha," he said as he turned his back of Fury. "They're the spies. Not me."

Fury was starting to lose his cool. "They're out on assignment and won't be back in touch for a few days. You're the best I got." Steve just continued to punch the bag as if he hadn't heard him. "If this guy is as bad as I think he is, he's going to make New York look like a cake walk." Steve slowed. "We need you, Cap." That got his attention.

"I'm gunna regret this."

* * *

><p>The building was cold and dark as he moved as silently as possible through the cement structure clad in his Captain America attire. Fury hadn't been able to give him much intel on Thanos himself, but he had been able to track down one of his lackeys. That's how Steve found himself peering around corners and lurking in shadows. His mission was to plant a listening device in their lair in hopes of learning something more about their latest enemy.<p>

Everything was so still that the slightest sound was defining in the dark space. The entire thing had Steve's nerves on edge. _If this is their headquarters something should be here. This is to quite._ No sooner had the thought appeared in his head than he heard something hit the ground behind him.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he turned his head and saw the grenade slowly make its way towards him. He dove for cover and barely made it out of the line of fire as the device went off, but it was no normal grenade. There was no shrapnel flying through the air. No smoke. No flash. Instead there were tiny drops of liquid everywhere. Steve watched in horror as the drops slowly began to grow and change shape as they began to form into otherworldly beings. Their bald heads and green, scaly skin gave them a reptilian look that instantly set Steve's adrenalin through the roof when they all turned to look at him.

There were dozens of them slowly advancing on him. Steve took a deep breath and began quickly looking for an escape route. He was a good fighter and could take on more than his fair share of adversaries, but doing it while backed into a corner was not his idea of a good time.

Inhaling slowly, Steve tightened the grip on his shield before exhaling and throwing it with all his considerable might into the middle of the advancing horde. The creatures went flying in all directions, clearing a path. Steve surged forward through the gap he had created and caught his shield as it ricochets off the opposite wall.

Steve fought for all the he was worth, but the horde was quickly overpowering him. He had vastly underestimated their numbers. He was knocked to the ground, his shield absent from his hand and just out of reach. _This is it_, he thought. _The end of the line._ The realization of his impending doom began to take root in his soul. He closed his eyes and prepared for the final strike, but it never came.

A bright light shined through his closed eyelids as a defining cry reached his ears. Opening his eyes, he saw a dark haired woman clad in full armor swinging a massive sword as she gave a mighty war cry. As the light faded away and his mind began to comprehend what was truly going on around him, he saw the mysterious woman was cutting down enemies left and right. Every time one would appear to get close to her, she would somehow manage to turn at the last second and cut them down with a single swing of her sword.

It was all so overwhelming. Steve was so awestruck by what he was seeing that he nearly forgot where he was and what he was doing until he felt one of the creatures grab him. Quickly coming to his senses, Steve raced for his shield that the woman had kicked towards him and struck the creature on the head with it.

Turning, he began fighting back to back with his savior. "We have to get out of here," he said.

"Go!" she ordered in an eerily calm voice. "I will hold them off long enough for you to escape."

Steve dispatched a few more assailants. "What about you?"

"What happens to me is none of your concern, Captain Rogers." She cut down another enemy. "Now go!"

A battle raged within him for a moment before Steve pushed forward and raced off towards the exit. He paused for a moment at the door and turned to watch the woman fight. The first rays of the rising sun were beginning to peek through the windows, casting the room in a soft, warm, yellow light. Her armor shined like diamonds where the rays of light hit it. As the gleam of her armor intensified, Steve could have sworn that he saw two massive wings appear on her back before the light faded and she vanished from sight completely.

**Please review as any and all feedback is most welcome. All reviewers who allow me to send them a message will be given a special look at the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 2

**I do not own Avengers or any of the other heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I own Valkyrie as she takes no inspiration from that of the comics and is a character of my own design and making.**

_Chapter 2_

"Okay run this by me again," said Fury as he scrutinized the captain with his one good eye. "You're telling me that some sort of angel fought off a couple dozen enemies so you could escape, and then just vanished into thin air?"

"Yes," Steve said simply as he sat at the conference table. He had been greeted by Natasha and Clint fresh off the plane from their latest mission. They lead him to Fury and sat quietly while he recounted what had happened to him in the last 8 hours. "She came out of nowhere. Saved me, and then disappeared when I was in the clear."

"That is not entirely unbelievable," said Natasha.

"Oh really?"

Clint picked up where she left off. "After meeting two demi-gods and fighting off an army of aliens, I'm willing to believe Cap's got a guardian angel out there somewhere."

"Fine. What did you find out?" Fury asked.

Steve told them everything he had found at the warehouse… a whole lot of nothing. There had been a few guards stationed at the back entrance, but he had dispatched them quickly enough. From there he had searched for the main office. Unfortunately he hadn't come across it before being accosted by the creatures the grenade produced.

After a few minutes of discussion, it was decided that Natasha would go investigate the warehouse further. She was a super-spy for a reason. If there was any information to be found there she could find it.

* * *

><p>When Fury gave him this mission he was a little surprised. He and Stark didn't exactly see eye to eye. Yes, they had been able to find common ground and work together during Loki's attack causing Steve's opinion of the man some called "Ironman" to improved considerably after his selfless actions in New York. If someone had told Steve a year ago that Tony Stark would sacrifice himself to save others, he wouldn't have believed them. Now he knew that he would give his all for what he believed in just as he would.<p>

Steve stopped his motorcycle and stared up at the nearly finished skyscraper and shook his head. Stark Tower had sustained serious damage during Loki's little adventure. The most obvious sign that it was being rebuilt was actually the sign itself. Where"STARK" had once blazed across the sky, Steve could now clearly see the beginnings of "AVENGERS." None of them had done what they did for the glory. They did it because it was the right thing to do. Seeing Stark draw so much attention to them did not make Steve very happy as he rode the elevator up to the penthouse.

The elevator came to a stop on the top floor. The doors opened with a ding to reveal billionaire Tony Stark waiting for him; no doubt he had been warned by his electronic butler Jarvis that he was coming up in the elevator.

"Hey Capsicle!" he said in greeting. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

Steve cut to the chase. "Fury sent me. He's getting the team back together."

Tony walked to the bar, Steve close behind, and began fixing himself a drink. He paused after pouring his scotch to offer some to Steve who shook his head in declination. "So, he wants to get the band back together for a little reunion tour?"

"You could say that," said Steve. "There's someone named Thanos trying to make Loki's attempt at a takeover look like an afternoon in the park. He wants us to stop him."

"And what do you want?" It had not gone unnoticed that Steve was only referring to Fury's assessment of the situation. While Tony may not agree with all of Steve's squeaky clean, holier than thou ways he trusted him in a fight. If he wasn't willing to fight this battle Tony wanted to know why.

"It doesn't matter what I think."

"I think it does." Tony put down his drink and walked around the bar to stand in front of Steve. "Do you think this is our fight?"

Steve dodged the question by exaggerating his annoyance. "You coming or not?"

* * *

><p>Natasha and Clint slowly worked their way through the marketplace of the small Indonesian town. A group of children ran past them shouting and laughing as they chased after a Labrador puppy. The eldest caught the dog and gave a large sequel of happiness when the dog began to lick his face.<p>

"Looks like they're having fun," Clint said. The only indication that Natasha gave of hearing him was a single solitary grunt as she continued to scan the crowd for a familiar face. Fury had sent them to find Banner after all, and Natasha was interested in nothing else.

When she was on a mission her well-honed senses sharpened to a razor's edge. She never wanted to be caught off guard. That's why she didn't miss a beat when Barton tried to slip one past her.

"I'm thinking about shaving my head and becoming a Buddhist."

"That would not be advisable," she said. "You don't believe in religion. Besides, you would look ridiculous without hair." The corner of her mouth quirked up as she gave him a sideways glance.

Clint chuckled, "I guess you're right."

She suddenly stopped walking and pointed off in the distance. "There." Clint followed her gesture and saw exactly what they had been looking for. Dr. Bruce Banner stood off in the distance handing a woman a loaf of bread. Three children that he could only assume were hers clamored around her feet as she nodded to the doctor.

They watched as the good doctor did all he could to help. As he worked, he could feel eyes watching him. He looked up to see his former brother and sister in-arms watching him. He waived to show them he had seen them. Natasha nodded back. He sighed. If they were there, there was only one reason. Something was up. Something big was coming, and they were hoping his mean green alter ego would be joining them.

* * *

><p>It wasn't hard to find the God of Thunder. He had been present when London was nearly destroyed after all. Getting him to the newly reconstructed and renamed Avenger's Tower took almost no effort.<p>

As the group of heroes sat around discussing the newest threat to mankind, it became very clear that they had very little idea of what they were up against. The God of Thunder was the only one that knew anything about Thanos. "He's a tyrant that destroys those who stand in the way of what he wants."

"Sounds like fun," Tony said.

"He is not to be taken lightly. He has destroyed civilizations far older and greater than your own in his quest for power."

"What is he after?" asked Natasha. "If he is here he must be after something."

Barton agreed. "We need to figure out what it is."

Dr. Banner spoke for the first time since their meeting began. "And how do we do that?"

Fury came storming into the room, a file in his hand. "We don't need to." He tossed the file onto the table in front of the heroes.

Steve reached for the file and began to read through it. As he did, he noticed that all of the pages had a S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem on them. Suspicion started to take root in his mind. "Where did you get these?"

"A friend of mine is heading up what's left of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Who?"

"Doesn't matter. What matters is that we know where one of his top assassins is going to be and when. If we get her, we can get down to the bottom of this and stop it before it starts."

There was a moment of silence as everyone waited for someone else to make the first move. All eyes eventually made their way to Steve. He could feel their eyes on him. The tension grew to a fever pitch as he lifted his eyes to Nick Fury. The former director raised an eyebrow at the super soldier. Steve let his breath out in on large rush before he spoke. "Suit up."

**Please review as any and all feedback is most welcome. All reviewers who allow me to send them a message will be given a special look at the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 3

**I do not own Avengers or any of the other heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I own Valkyrie as she takes no inspiration from that of the comics and is a character of my own design and making.**

_Chapter 3_

Captain America lead the group of heroes through the forest towards their intended target. He could see what he assumed to be a woman. Her blue skin and solid black eyes made it difficult for him to know for sure. There were creatures digging vast ditches all around her. When he looked a little closer, he could see that these were the same creatures that had attacked him before when he was saved by the angel for a second time.

Nobody other than himself, Clint, and Natasha knew about her appearance. Standing there, staring at the horde before him, Steve found himself wishing and praying that she would appear again as he signaled the others to move into position.

They crept into their positions as quietly as possible. Clint notched an arrow and Natasha readied her pistol. Thor strengthened his grip on Mjolnir. It took everything he had not to start swinging it, but raining lightning down on them was not the agreed upon plan of attack.

Banner would allow his green alter ego to erupt as the others came in fighting from the other side. Thor was to then summon up his weapon from the skies to surprise them before he joined the fight. That is what they had agreed upon. Of course Stark suddenly appearing from the sky and blaring rock music from his Ironman suit hadn't been part of that. He was supposed to provide aerial support. Somehow it happened anyway.

Disaster ensued the moment the blue woman spotted Tony. Everyone was forced to leap into battle, the plan completely forgotten.

"What are you doing?" Tony could hear someone yell at him.

"It was taking too long."

Steve caught his shield as it ricochet off of the trees near him, taking out several enemies along the way. He began panting as he looked at his teammates around him. Enemies were surrounding them on every side. Even Hulk looked like he was beginning to become overwhelmed by their superior numbers. They reminded Steve of Hydra. Every time they thought they were making a dent in their forces, more appeared.

_I did it again,_ Steve thought. _I failed._ His spirits sank lower and lower as he watched his fellow Avengers begin to tire. Even Tony, with his highly advanced suit of armor, looked as if he couldn't keep going for much longer. Shoulders slumping, he started to call for a retreat when he felt a sudden presence behind him.

All of his superhuman senses went into overdrive as he spun on his heels to engage the newest assailant. His eyes grew wide as he once again came face to face with his guardian angel. She nodded to him silently before moving forward into the fray.

He watched in awe as she cut her way through the horde as if she was simply slicing through butter. Her trajectory left only one destination, the blue woman. During the course of the fight she had remained on the far side of the clearing just watching events unfold. Thor had tried to engage her on more than one occasion, but every time he had gotten close more of the creatures would suddenly appear and block his path to her.

Bolstering his resolve, Steve tightened the grip on his shield and followed the angel back into the fight. They had nearly reached the blue woman when she noticed the one in armored advancing towards her with sword and shield in hand. Her coal black eyes narrowed.

"Nebula!" the angel yelled. Her voice held such power and authority that even the mighty Thor paused in his actions to take note of her.

The woman, Nebula, let out a growl of frustration before disappearing, taking her creatures with her. The angel lowered her sword and stared at the spot before her in which Nebula had stood. Steve stood a few feet behind her, staring in awe.

"Is this her?" Natalie asked as she and the other Avengers moved towards the pair.

"Is this who?" asked Tony.

"His guardian angel."

"That is no mere guardian," said Thor. "She is a Valkyrie."

"A what?"

"A Valkyrie." Natasha answered. "A creature in Norse mythology that is said to shepherd dead warriors to the afterlife."

"You are correct," she confirmed before turning to face the heroes. "But I am not here to take anyone to Valhalla today."

"Then why have you come?" asked Thor.

She gestured to Captain Rogers. "To save him."

Everyone looked at her in confusion. "I thought your kind was only meant to protect the fallen?" Thor asked.

"That is normally correct, Odinson. However if one has shown themselves to be worthy in our eyes, we may intercede on their behalf."

"And you think I'm worthy?" Steve asked.

She looked at him for the first time since she appeared. Her chocolate brown eyes bore into his clear blue and softened. "Yes, Captain Rogers. You are most worthy. Any time you find yourself in need of help, you have but to call my name and I will be at your side."

They looked on in wonder as a set of mighty wings began to form behind her, spreading wider than she was tall. They began to flutter softly as she looked to the sky and prepared to leave them. Steve rushed forward. "Wait! How can I call you if I don't know your name?"

Pausing in her assent, she looked down at him and softened her powerful voice and said "My name is Valkyrie, for I am the first," she said before she vanished from sight, leaving a group of stunned mortals and one very amazed god in her wake.

* * *

><p>"So…" Tony began as they all sat around a conference table in the tower a few hours later, "you're telling me Capsicle here managed to get himself his very own ass-kicking angel?"<p>

Steve didn't answer. He was just as confused about the whole situation as the rest of them. She had said he was "most worthy." What the hell did that mean? What had he done to warrant a centuries old angelic figure to take personal interest in him?"

"Looks like it," Clint said.

"It's strange," said Thor. "The leader of the Valkyrie has not been heard from in my lifetime. Why has she chosen this moment to appear?"

Everyone looked at Steve, expecting an answer, but there was none he could give. Banner was the first to speak. "What do you say, Captain? Is there something going on here that we don't know about?"

"Look," Steve leaned forward in his chair and rested his arms on the table. "I know just as much about all of this as you do."

"You sure?" Tony asked, a hint of disbelief and sarcasm in his voice. "I mean, there has to be a reason that this gorgeous gal is so anxious to stick to your side. What'd you do? Offer to let her pop your cherry?"

With that, Steve lunged forward towards the billionaire. It was not uncommon for Tony to make jabs at him. There was hardly a time that the two were in the same room when it didn't happen. But this time, this time he'd gone too far. He'd started in on Steve as soon as they'd gotten clear of the battle site. Steve had already been on edge. The comments that normally went in one ear and out the other had been more that the battle hardened vet could take.

Fury came into the room to find everyone trying to keep the two apart. Tony was shouting insults at the super soldier while Thor, the only one currently strong enough to hold him back, was keeping Steve from beating the billionaire to within an inch of his life.

"Will you all sit down and shut the Hell up!" They broke apart. "Will somebody tell me what in God's name is going on?" Natasha began to explain the reappearance of the mysterious guardian angel and the revelations she had made. "And you have no idea why she keeps showing up like this?"

"No," Steve told the group for what felt like the millionth time since she last appeared.

"I may know someone who can help us," said Thor. "My father is the one who gave the Valkyrie's their charge. If anyone can tell us why she has been coming to his aide, it will be him."

* * *

><p>The group made their way to the spot that Thor and Loki had used to make the journey back to Asgard. It was decided that only Thor and Steve would make the journey. Tony would no doubt find a way to insult Oden is such a way that he would refuse to help. Clint and Natasha were content to keep their feet planted firmly on Earth, unlike Bruce. Banner had been rather keen to see the mythical city. However, Thor had quickly quelled the idea. The thought of the Hulk somehow being unleashed upon his home made him rather uneasy. The good doctor understood this and graciously stepped aside.<p>

Thor motioned for Steve to step up next to him on the small platform, the others forming a semicircle around them. Steve had his hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket. His shoulders were a bit tense. It was almost amusing to him that he would charge head first into battle with little to no thought, but traveling between worlds made his skin crawl.

"Ready," the god of thunder asked. Steve nodded. "Heimdel!"

A bright light made of rainbows enveloped them. There was a strong pulling sensation felt by the two men, and suddenly they were gone.

* * *

><p>The glistening golden city took Steve's breath away. He had often tried to imagine what Heaven would look like, with it's Crystal Sea and streets paved with gold. Everything he had dreamed did not come close to what he now saw in Asgard.<p>

It had taken him a moment to get his bearings when he first stepped out onto the Rainbow Bridge. His brain told him that it could all not be real, but the colored light beneath his feet was as solid and as real as his racing heart. He had actually stopped moving and just stared up at the empress ice edifice at one point. Thor, noticing his companion's hesitation, turned to him as saw the look of wonder on his face. The god of thunder smiled and said, "Beautiful isn't it?"

"Yeah."

Soon, they found themselves standing before Odin in the great throne room. The old man looked every bit the wise ruler he was always described as being. Thor knelt before his father's throne. Steve hesitated for a moment before following suite. He told himself that he could justify it as showing respect to a foreign ruler, not kneeling before a god other than the one true God.

Odin greeted them, and they stood. Thor proceeded to tell them about the Valkyrie and how she had appeared not to shepherd the man next to him into the afterlife, but to keep him from seeing it for a while longer. The king sat silently contemplating what he heard.

"Is it true?" he asked once Thor had finished. "Did she appear to you only to help you fight?"

"Yes."

"Did she say why?"

"No. She said if I ever needed her help to just call on her and she'd be there."

The Allfather inclined his head slightly and raised a white eyebrow.

"It is true, father," said Thor. "She said she was the first. Why would she help us?"

"That is a wonderful question, my son. Why don't we ask her? Call her."

The two Avengers stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do.

"Call her," ordered the king.

Something didn't sit right to Steve. "With all due respect, why do you need me to call her? She said you were the one that gave her orders. Can't you call her?"

"I want to see if what you say is true," he replied. "I want to see if she will truly come. Call her."

There was a moment of silence before Steve took a deep breath and let it out quickly. He raised his eyes to the sky above him and called her name. "Valkyrie!"

The call rang through the halls before resolving into silence0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000. Steve waited with baited breath for the familiar rustle of wings to be heard, but there was nothing. He could feel the eyes of both Thor and Odin upon him as he examined his feet. He took a deep breath before raising his eyes to the man sitting on the throne of Asgard. He was preparing to speak when he finally heard the all too familiar sound that preceded his angel.

The men looked to the back of the room and saw the woman striding towards them. She was clad in her bronze armor with her sword on her hip and a shield on her back. Each stride held purpose and spoke of the hidden strength and power contained within what would otherwise appear to be a delicate form. Her eyes never left Steve as she came to rest in front of him.

It was the first time he had ever really been able to look at her. She was a good three inches shorter than him. Part of her long brown hair was pulled back away from her face in two small braids while the rest flowed down past her shoulders. There was a fire in her deep brown eyes that spoke of the fierceness she had shown in battle and just how willing she was to fight for her cause.

"You called." It was not a question, merely a statement of fact.

Thor was the first to speak, "My father wanted to see if you would truly come."

Her eyes cut from Captain Rogers to the god of thunder before looking up to the throne. They watched her eyes narrow as she examined the king. "That is not Odin," she said."

"What do you mean?"

"No more tricks. Reveal yourself, son of Laufey."

**Please review as any and all feedback is most welcome. All reviewers who allow me to send them a message will be given a special look at the next chapter.**


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